Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Tuesday challenged by-poll results of NA-120 in the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), highlighting major irregularities in the results. The NA-120 seat stood vacated after Supreme Court of Pakistan disqualified the then Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in Panama Papers case on July 28.
On September 17 in a by-election on this seat, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz candidate Kulsoom Nawaz won it by bagging 59,413 votes against the PTI's Dr Yasmin Rashid who secured 46,145 votes. The PTI has alleged massive irregularities and discrepancies in the polls, requesting the Election Commission to look into the issue at the earliest. The party has also called it a systematic manipulation of the results.
After submitting application with the ECP, Yasmin Rashid told media persons that the Lahore High Court had sought a list of 29,000 voters, which the ECP provided on the Saturday evening, a day before the polls. The 100-page list revealed that 30 percent of the voters were residing abroad, while as many were not even alive, she said.
According to the PTI leader, votes were cast even in the names of the deceased and there was also duplicity of votes in the voters' list. She said that she complained to the Election Commission and all other relevant authorities even before the elections on this constituency about the discrepancies but unfortunately nobody listened to her. Rashid also alleged that the ruling party consistently breached the code of conduct for the by-election issued by the electoral body.
She said that despite objections raised by the PTI polling agents, suspected voters were allowed to cast their votes, adding that more than 32 petitions have been filed over violation of code of conduct. She said that they have provided evidence of all the irregularities to the Election Commission and hope that they will look into it at the earliest.
"After 1977 no election has been given certificate of transparent elections," said PTI leader Naeem-ul-Haq, while speaking to reporters outside the Election Commission. Meanwhile, the Election Commission restored the membership of six legislators for submitting their wealth statements and statement of assets and liabilities, as required under the law, with the Commission.
The restored members include five members of National Assembly and one of Sindh Assembly. The membership of 42 legislators still remains suspended for not submitting their wealth statements and statements of assets and liabilities to the Election Commission.
The suspended members include four from the National Assembly, 13 from Punjab Assembly, 23 from Sindh Assembly and two of Balochistan Assembly. All members of Senate and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly have submitted their wealth statements and statements of assets and liabilities with the Election Commission as required under the law.
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